The theater, at 156 Lincoln Way E, Massillon, is designed by Guy Tilden and built by Massillon resident John McClain, opening Nov. 23, 1915. It included a 1,100-seat playhouse with a Hillgr...

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ABOUT THE LIONS LINCOLN THEATRE

The theater, at 156 Lincoln Way E, Massillon, is designed by Guy Tilden and built by Massillon resident John McClain, opening Nov. 23, 1915. It included a 1,100-seat playhouse with a Hillgreen-Lane pipe organ.

The first film shown at the Lincoln Theatre is "The Price," starring Helen Ware.

In the 1920s, the theater is bought by the Schine brothers, who add a full, rectangular marquee and a new Wurlitzer 2/7 theater organ.

In 1928, sound debuts in film at the theater with the showing of "The Jazz Singer."

In 1953, the Lincoln Theatre showed its first CinemaScope film, "The Robe" with Richard Burton and Jean Simmons. CinemaScope was a lens type used for shooting widescreen movies from 1953 to 1967.

Closes in 1975, but is purchased by the Massillon Industrial Foundation not long after.

The Ten Star Theater begins performing live shows at the Lincoln in 1977.

The Lions Club buys the dilapidated theater in 1982.

Saturday, the theater used for the first time a digital projector to show the movie "Gravity," starring Sandra Bullock, George Clooney and Ed Harris, which originally debuted at IMAX theaters in 2013.

Just past the theater doors, the old, gray carbon-arc Century projector draws the attention of moviegoers toting buckets of buttery popcorn.

Cordoned off by red velvet ropes, the 1937 projector might easily be mistaken as a relic, like the historic theater itself. But until recently, it was one of a pair of projectors regularly running 35-millimeter celluloid films at the Lions Lincoln Theatre.

The distribution of physical celluloid films spun toward extinction as 2013 came to a close. Hollywood's decision to distribute movies in only their digital format meant that small theaters like Massillon's Lions Lincoln Theatre and Canton's Palace Theatre would be forced to change, too.

In Massillon, the theater's sleek, new digital projector sits atop the shoulders of a black cage. Movies, now delivered on computer hard drives, are "ingested" by the machine. Saturday's showing of the 2013 movie "Gravity," starring Sandra Bullock and George Clooney, marked the first time that the $70,000 digital projector would be used for public consumption.

After Blankenship addressed the nearly packed theater at 156 Lincoln Way E about the significance of the evening, she strolled to the lobby, where an older theater worker approached her.

"Everyone's in their seat, should I turn the lights down now?" the man asked her.

"No, the projector will do it," Blankenship said, smiling.

MIXED EMOTIONS

Saturday, Blankenship said, marked the start of a new era and the end of beloved one, too. The theater, which opened in 1915 and is believed to be one of the oldest purpose-built movie theaters in the country, can now provide movie buffs a cleaner, crisper picture with superb sound to match. That alone means its doors will stay open for its upcoming 100th anniversary.

"It's an exciting day," said Tim Bryan, a theater board member who led fundraising efforts. "This is the day we keep the theater moving. Without a digital projector, we wouldn't be able to show movies. You can't get 'em on film anymore."

Scott Frutschy, a third-generation projectionist who works at both the Lincoln and Palace theaters, said he had mixed feelings about the transition.

"It is a sad day, too," he said, "for anybody's that's nostalgic. I've been a projectionist for 13 years. For me it's a sad day, but only because they're no longer making 35's."

Blankenship noted that organizers of the Fall Cinesation Film Festival, held in September, told the theater that 2013 was the silent-film festival's last run.

"They can no longer get the films," she said of the cinephiles. "(Organizers) have all gotten quite old. They have to see film. That's their thing."

The Lincoln has kept the other Century projector in place and will use it from time to time if it comes across any 35-millimeter films. A DVD projector that was used to play classic movies has also been relegated to the corner of the projection room.

Page 2 of 2 - NEW OPPORTUNITY

Rich Reding, owner of the drive-in Lynn Auto Theatre in Strasburg, poked his head into the Lincoln's projection room and peppered theater projectionists with questions about their new technology. The Lynn replaced one of its 35-millimeter projectors last year and will have a second digital projector ready when drive-in season begins in the spring.

"This is going to open up so much more opportunity for them," Reding said.

Jerry Johnson and his wife were among the horde of moviegoers to come out Saturday. Johnson remembers when the Lincoln was the premier theater in town, with uniformed ushers. It outlived other theaters in town, like the Weslin, and Johnson was happy when it stayed afloat with the opening in 2005 of the modern Great Escape Theatre across town.

"They've had a lot of people that have been responsible for keeping the money coming in," he said. "It's a great thing."

Bryan, a Massillon Rotary Club member, said the organization led efforts to solicit city residents and businesses for donations. Blankenship secured a grant from the Stark Community Foundation, and others chipped in with in-kind donations.

"We've always known this was coming," Blankenship said. "To be honest, I believe the board just felt, 'that's it, that's it for the Lincoln.' We've worked so hard to keep it going that it was almost heartbreaking. But when this gift from God showed up, it was pretty amazing."

Reach Matthew at 330-580-8527 or matthew.rink@cantonrep.com. On Twitter: @mrinkREP